Page 52 of Fallen Star

“Wonder if she’ll last.”

My chest tightens, and I press myself closer to Aerix. The ropes binding me to him are the only reason I don’t topple off Nyx entirely.

“Relax,” he murmurs, cold and detached. “They won’t touch you. Not when you’re with me.”

“Of course.” I roll my eyes. “My fae-vampire knight in shining armor. With retractable wings and a black jaguar to match.”

“I told you not to say anything,” he snaps quietly, and I press my lips together, not wanting to provoke any more reactions from these creatures than I already have.

We continue our agonizingly slow walk through town, and a group of men lounging outside what appears to be a tavern lean forward as we pass, their eyes gleaming like cats in the darkness.

The way they watch me feels like being stripped bare. Vulnerable in a way I’ve never experienced.

“Do you think one of the royals will keep her?” one of them says.

“The king, no doubt,” another replies. “Justlookat her.”

“Trust me—I’m looking,” chimes in another, and even though I’m not supposed to, I meet his gaze with a death glare that makes him go silent.

The deeper we go into the town, the more luxurious the buildings become. Sturdier, more symmetrical, and more ornate. Even the cobblestones are darker now, polished so they’re as smooth as glass. And the fae lining the streets are dressed more elegantly, in silk fabrics instead of cotton, which are intricately designed with lace and gemstones.

The whispers continue.

“I call first taste when he’s done with her.”

“If there’s anything left to taste,” someone else laughs. “You know how these things usually end.”

My heart pounds so hard I’m sure they can all hear it. And somehow, the rope binding me to Aerix feels less like a restraint and more like the only thing keeping me from being torn apart by the hungry crowd of vampiric fae.

I swallow hard and force my gaze to the cobblestones beneath us, ignoring the stares, the whispers, the low chuckles that seem to follow us through the increasingly elaborate streets.

Eventually, we reach the moat.

And that’s when I realize—the reason why the water is so dark is because it’s red.Darkred.

The same color as blood.

I can smell it now, too. Sharp and metallic, so strong that I can taste it in the back of my throat.

“Is that…?” I ask Aerix, my stomach lurching at what I’m looking at.

“You are truly terrible at obeying orders,” he observes. “But yes—that’s the Crimson Tide, which is what we’ve affectionatelynamed our moat of blood mixed with the darkest water of the night.”

My stomach lurches at the confirmation, but I force myself to stay composed as Nyx crosses the black stone bridge spanning the blood-filled moat, which leads into the courtyard.

Opulent black fountains sit in the center of the gardens, with the same nauseating blood and water mixed liquid coming out of them as the moat. But the most terrifying thing is the palace looming ahead, carved from jagged black stone veined with crimson lines. Towers spiral upward, their tips glowing with moonlight, while sharp, angular arches frame enormous double doors. The building hums with energy that makes my skin prickle—an ancient, dark magic so dense it feels alive.

Two fae guards stand on each side of the doors, their sleek black armor gleaming in the moonlight, their dark wings out for us to see.

They take one look at Aerix, push the doors open, and reveal the cavernous hall, leaving me with a sinking feeling that I’m stepping into the mouth of a monster.

Zoey

Finally,now that I’m close to being permanently fused to Nyx, Aerix dismounts and unties the ropes holding me down.

I slide down awkwardly, my legs wobbling beneath me the moment I hit the ground.

“Try not to fall on your face,” he mutters, brushing past me as if I’m not even worth the effort of helping.

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